In a streaming ecosystem cluttered with a galaxy’s worth of forgettable sci-fi, Apple TV+ has charted a bold new course for itself — with stories in the genre that are as thought-provoking as they are visually stunning. Not content with pretty visuals or generic future-dystopia vibes, Apple’s streamer keeps delivering smart, ambitious sci-fi series that are as brainy as they are beautiful. And two upcoming releases dropping over the next several weeks are the perfect example of what I’m talking about.
First up is Murderbot, hitting Apple TV+ on May 16.
Based on Martha Wells’ wildly popular book series (The Murderbot Diaries), this one’s about a self-aware security robot that’s hacked its own governor module and now mostly wants to be left alone to binge-watch soap operas. Instead, it keeps getting dragged into dangerous missions that threaten to expose its inconvenient humanity. The show promises a unique blend of sardonic humor, AI existentialism, and action — think The Mandalorian, only with a more sarcastic and slightly depressed hero (who’s also secretly obsessed with garbage TV).
In July, meanwhile, it’s back to the stars with the long-awaited third season of Foundation — which, as of this writing on Tuesday night, is expected to be the subject of an official announcement tomorrow pointing toward a July 11 premiere for Season 3 (it’s already showing that date in the Apple TV+ app).
If you thought the first two seasons were wild, Season 3 looks to raise the stakes across space and time, continuing the epic struggle between Hari Seldon’s plan to save civilization and the volatile forces trying to tear it all down. Expect godlike clones, psychic powers, and galaxy-sized drama.
Together, these two series underscore what’s becoming a clear pattern: Apple TV+ is making some of the smartest, most cinematic sci-fi on any streaming service right now. From Severance to Silo, For All Mankind and Invasion (among others), this isn’t just popcorn sci-fi — it’s prestige genre storytelling with ambition to spare. As one Redditor recently put it: “Even if you’re not a fan of a specific show, there’s no denying that there’s a certain type of writing, direction, and budget put into these shows that doesn’t exist in productions like Netflix and Amazon.
“Apple seem to be bucking the trend of canceling shows after one season and giving productions time to tell a story. Shows like Silo are getting four seasons — time to help the story evolve.”
Long story short? If you’re a sci-fi fan, Apple TV+ is no longer optional. It’s essential.
